Synopsis / Summary / Plot
We begin with a video message from Marshall James Rhodes to his niece Lila saying that if she receives this it means he's dead. Then we go back 3 hours.
Rhodes' War Machines are fighting Wilson Fisk's armoured army above Technopolis. The Marshall is here to arrest Kingpin for the murder of Spyder-Man. But Fisk is genuinely surprised when he hears this. The battle is going against the law but Rhodey is also a member of Dr Doom's Thor Corps. He triggers his technological 'hammer' and strikes his foes with lightning.
Meanwhile brothers and corporate rivals Arno and Tony Stark have made up after their armoured fight last issue. Tony wants Arno to leave Kiri Oshiro and her company alone. To persuade him he confesses something.
As Kingpin lies dying he insists that he didn't kill Spyder-Man, and Rhodey believes him. Leaving Deputy Happy Hogan to clear up he heads back to the Hall of Justice where Amadeus Cho is retrieving data from Spydey's broken armour's recordings. They'd already established that Fisk was with Peter Urich a few minutes before his death.
But now Cho has found that Peter left Fisk. And the Marshall views the recording to see the person who killed Spyder-Man. Behind him Iron Man kills Amadeus as Rhodey turns to face the murderer.
It all makes sense now. Reporter Peter died because he found out that the disease that forces the inhabitants of Technopolis all to wear armour was spread deliberately - and he knew who did it. And of course Tony Stark's company makes most of that armour.
Marshall Rhodes declares Stark under arrest. But Tony points out that he's the Baron of this Zone of Battleworld, and he makes the laws that Rhodey enforces. Jim counters that 1 of those laws forbids murder.
Stark changes tack. He built the Marshall's armour - and now he transmits a command to freeze it. But it turns out that Tony was on Rhodey's suspect list all along, and he's just sent a summons to all his men. However a quick call to Arno confirms that they're all frozen too.
Tony now takes the time to explain what's been going on. It was father Howard Stark who unleashed the disease. Now Tony and Arno are united in protecting the family name. Tony killed Peter Urich, and also his reporter uncle Ben Urich who uncovered the truth earlier. And he adds that he also murdered Kiri Oshiro's parents for the same reason. Then he blasts Marshall Rhodes through his armour.
But suddenly Iron Man detects that Rhodes had a recorder/transmitter added to his armour, not connected to the suit controls because of his suspicions of Stark. Tony thinks it's of no consequence - he controls Technopolis, and God-Emperor Doom won't care what he does as long as he remains loyal. But dying Rhodey says he's sent the message it to someone smart who'll get revenge.
That of course is Lila Rhodes at Mobairu Yosai Mechanics. She and Kiri have both now learned they have reason to hate Baron Stark. They activate their latest project, a pair of giant armoured suits they call Moving Fortresses.